-k
The Ergative Case -k
The one who does something to something gets -k: Anek kafea edaten du (Ane drinks coffee).
How It Works
Forms.
- Name ending in a vowel: Ane → Anek, Koldo → Koldok
- Name ending in a consonant: Mikel → Mikelek, Jon → Jonek
- With the singular article: ikaslea → ikasleak (the student); neska → neskak (the girl)
- With the plural article: ikasleak → ikasleek (the students)
- Pronouns: nik, zuk, hark, guk, zuek, haiek. zuek and haiek look the same as their plain forms.
Which subjects. Follow the auxiliary. A verb that takes dut, du, dute gives its subject -k. A verb that takes naiz, da, dira does not. This includes verbs with no visible object, such as lan egin and hitz egin: Mikelek asko lan egiten du. The full picture is in who does what: nor and nork.
Once, at the end. Like every case ending, -k goes on the last word of the phrase: Ikasle berriak liburua irakurri du (The new student has read the book).
Watch -ak. ikasleak can mean the students (plural, no -k) or the student doing something. The auxiliary tells you which one. See the two meanings of -ak. In everyday speech in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, several students doing something are often ikasleak too: Ikasleak liburua irakurri dute. Standard Basque writes ikasleek.
The question word for the doer is nork: Nork egin du? (Who did it?) See nor and nork.
Examples (6)
- Anek kafea edaten du.
Ane drinks coffee.
Word by Word: Ane-ERG coffee drinking has.
- Mikelek ogia erosi du.
Mikel has bought the bread.
Word by Word: Mikel-ERG bread bought has.
Mikel ends in a consonant, so the ending is -ek.
- Nik ez dakit.
I don't know.
Word by Word: I-ERG not I-know.
jakin (to know) is transitive, so the subject is nik even with no object.
- Ikasleak liburua irakurri du.
The student has read the book.
Word by Word: The-student-ERG book read has.
- Ikasleek liburua irakurri dute.
The students have read the book.
Word by Word: The-students-ERG book read they-have.
The plural doer takes -ek, and the auxiliary is dute.
- Guk lan asko egin dugu.
We have done a lot of work.
Word by Word: We-ERG work much done we-have.
Common Mistakes
Adding a bare -k to a name that ends in a consonant.
Mikelk ogia erosi du.Mikelek ogia erosi du.After a consonant the ending is -ek: Mikelek, Jonek.
Putting -k on the subject of a verb that uses izan.
Anek etorri da.Ane etorri da.etorri takes da, not du, so its subject stays bare.
Putting the ending on every word of the phrase.
Ikasleak berriak liburua irakurri du.Ikasle berriak liburua irakurri du.The article and -k go only once, on the last word of the phrase: ikasle berriak.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The ergative is met first with ukan.
Related Patterns
- Who Does What: nor and nork
Explains which subjects take -k and which stay bare.
Level 1 - ni / zu / hura / gu / zuek / haiekPersonal Pronouns
The plain pronouns that become nik, zuk, hark, guk, zuek, haiek.
Level 1 - nor / norkWho (Nor, Nork)
nork is the question word for the doer.
Level 1 - The Two Meanings of -ak
Tells the plural -ak apart from the singular doer -ak.
Level 2 - Plural Case Endings
Shows the plural ergative -ek next to the other plural endings.
Level 2 - This and That With Endings
This, that and that one over there as doers: honek, horrek, hark.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -k in Bubblegum
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